battue, I believe you have hit the nail directly on the head! I hunted PA from age 12 to age 37 and I was never more than 1/4 mile from a road or house. It was virtually impossible to get lost because you were surrounded by roads and houses. I now live in CO and you really have to work to get game. It is nothing for me to hike 5-6 miles in a day in search of deer and elk. There is no sitting in a heated box/blind and waiting for the deer to saunter by. You are up and hiking to the top of the mountain to glass and then hopefully plan a stalk. I have on more than one occasion dragged a deer more than a 1/2 mile back to my vehicle, believe me snow is your friend. Elk are another story entirely, quartering and then packing out is a whole other adventure. If you want to be successful you have to put in the time and be willing to go where there is open land and get off the road. If I was back in PA the ANF or the Adirondack mountains in NY would be very appealing to me. Big forest not so many people. The Benoits of Vermont are willing get off the beaten path to work for their deer and look at their successes. Sounds like the "good old days " are over so adapt! Good luck!
Experience is what you get, when you don't get what you want!
